The famous Greek singer Maria Farantouri gave a concert on April 8, at the Komische Oper in Berlin. She performed songs by her compatriot, Mikis Theodorakis, and the Turkish composer, Taner Akyol. Symeon Ioannidis was the conductor of the Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin.
The Komische Oper describes Farantouri as “the greatest voice of Greece” and the French newspaper Le Monde describes her as “the Joan Baez of the Mediterranean”.
Farantouri was born in Athens οn Nov. 28th, 1947, a harsh period, when Greece, like much of Europe, was recovering from the devastation of World War II and the German Occupation. Her childhood was full of hardships. Her parents were both islanders.
It was through her participation in the choir of The Society of Greek Music that she understood that singing would become a way of life. In 1963, Theodorakis first heard Farantouri singing a song of his own entitled Grief. The composer was deeply impressed by the 16-year-old singer. In the same year, she became a member of Theodorakis’s ensemble, according to her official website. She has been a political and cultural activist.
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